This invention relates to a vehicle equipped with a conveyor system. The vehicle is movable from one site to another, and the conveyors of the conveyor system then may be set up whereby they may perform their conveying function. A vehicle of this description is referred to herein as a conveyor vehicle.
Describing with more particularity a conveyor vehicle as contemplated herein, in the construction business the need arises for a conveyor system capable of handling differently sized material delivered to a loading zone by transporting this material to different stockpile regions dependent upon the size of material handled. For instance, in the handling of crushed rock and gravel, as is done in the road construction business, frequently crushed material is screened in a screener with material of different size ranges falling from the screener at different locations, then to be carried away from the screener for deposit in distinct stockpiles. In preparing multiple stock piles, maximum production and efficiency are attained if stockpiles produced pursuant to this type of operation have substantial size and contain a large quantity of material. Directly affecting the height and distance separating different piles are the length of the conveyors utilized in conveying away the separated material, and the elevation obtainable in the discharge ends of the conveyors. It should be obvious that a conveyor that conveys material a considerable distance away from the screening operation and permits such material to cascade from a point of discharge having considerable elevation over the ground, produces a substantially larger stockpile than a conveyor of shorter length and having a lower discharge elevation.
A general object of this invention is to provide a conveyor vehicle which includes a mobile vehicle frame adapted for road transport, and a conveyor system of multiple conveyors supported on the vehicle frame featuring a construction which enables relatively long conveyors in the conveyor system to be compactly arranged with the vehicle set up for travel over the road.
Another object is to provide a conveyor vehicle where the vehicle includes multiple conveyors supported on the vehicle frame which are relatively easily adjusted between a road transport position with the conveyors compactly arranged in a supported position on the frame, and a set up position, where the conveyors extend outwardly to the sides and to different regions around the vehicle frame in an optimum position for stockpiling material.
A vehicle as contemplated has good roadability with the conveyors of the vehicle arranged in a road transport position. With the conveyors so arranged, the vehicle is stable without excessive width or height, and easily moved over the highway at conventional highway speeds. With the vehicle moved to a construction site, adjustments are readily made to place the conveyors in a set up position, whereby they may be operated to perform their stockpiling function.
In a particular and preferred embodiment of the invention, the conveyor vehicle has three different conveyors in the conveyor system of the vehicle, namely two lateral-feeding conveyors and a longitudinal-feeding conveyor. With the conveyors in a road transport position to ready the vehicle for moving over the road, the conveyors all occupy a position extending longitudinally along the vehicle frame. In a set up position, the lateral-feeding conveyors are swung to extend outwardly to opposite sides of the vehicle frame and upwardly to a raised elevation. The longitudinal-feeding conveyor is swung to raise its discharge end. All three conveyors are supplied with material to be conveyed at a region located adjacent one end of the vehicle frame. From this region the various conveyors convey different size ranges of material outwardly to different zones to produced the desired stockpiles.